Have a say on policing of local railways by joining Transport Police advisory board

Have you ever wanted to voice your opinions on the policing of your local railway and station, or provide feedback on a police operation you may have witnessed?

British Transport Police (BTP) is offering you the chance by inviting volunteers to become a member of an Independent Advisory Group.

BTP is looking for enthusiastic members of the public and rail staff to join its C Division Independent Advisory Group (IAG).

An IAG panel was established in 2011 for BTP’s former Wales and Western Area, but with new boundary changes coming into place, and the creation of new policing divisions, BTP is keen to extend the IAG membership further with new members who live and/or work in the Milton Keynes area.

The role would suit people who have a general interest in railways and the railway community, in particularly those who have strong links into local communities, to work in an advisory role to provide feedback and advice on how BTP’s actions are interpreted by members of the public.

The key aim of the panel is to strengthen relationships between BTP and a diverse range of local community groups.

Inspector Stuart Middlemas, of BTP, said: “We are keen to expand our membership of this already very successful group. We want more people to have their say in the policing of the railways in their area.

“We want members of the panel to have links to the diverse communities we police so we can help form a bridge between these groups and BTP.

“The aim is for members of the public and rail staff to get involved and be a voice for the community. We want them to provide feedback to us, and to challenge us when they don’t think we are getting things right. We want them to be critical and challenge existing processes to continue to build trust and confidence in us, which will have real tangible effects on our policing and our policies.”

Meetings are held quarterly and will allow a representation of local people to have a voice in the policing of the railway. Panel members will not be paid to perform the role, but will be entitled to the reimbursement of associated costs, such as travel.

Anyone from Milton Keynes or Aylesbury, or the immediate surrounding area, who is interested in becoming a volunteer with the Independent Advisory Group can visit http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/in_the_community/independent_advisory_groups.aspx for more information, or contact IAG coordinator Insp Stuart Middlemas via email at C-IAG@btp.pnn.police.uk

The photo shows members of IAG with BTP officers at the group’s launch.